2009 (Aug 8) Mt. Disappointment 50 Miler

I got up at 3:30 AM for the 1.5 hour drive to Mt. Wilson. Along the way I stop by McDonalds to get some breakfast. I ordered an Egg McMuffin and asked to remove the bacon. However, while driving and eating I recognized that the bacon was still in there so I took it out. Later my wife saw that they actually added extra bacon for an extra $1.09. I guess they misunderstood me LOL.

After arriving at Mt. Wilson around 5,000 feet I checked myself into the race. I asked where the 5K check-in is and they gave me a puzzled look. I laughed and said that I was just joking and that I'll run the 50 mile race.

About 30 minutes prior race start I'm ready and the day awakens too. In the background you can see a bunch of radio station towers.

About 10 minutes before the start all runners are gathering at the starting line. It's fairly cool then but the day sure will heat up later on.

With 5 minutes to go we're getting some last minute instructions.

The first few miles is a nice downhill on Mt. Wilson Road to Eaton Saddle. Lots of runners go out too fast on this section and get burned later on.

Prior the race I read that this course is really pretty and sure enough my expectations were fully satisfied right from the beginning.

Good morning sunshine!

Sure enough I soon started to see old friends like Yen Darcy. I've met her at the 2008 BullDog 50K. This is her 5th (!) 50 mile race this year. Pretty amazing.

This is about 1 hour into the race and I feel good. I just passed the first aid station at mile 5.6 and am right on my schedule for a 12 hour finish.

This race has a lot of technical trails which are tricky to navigate. But that's also fun to do.

Within the first 10 miles the race drops from about 5,700 feet down to around 3,400 feet.

Right after the long 10 mile downhill we get our first punishment of a though 0.8 mile uphill, some on paved street, toward the 2nd aid station.

I was glad arriving at this aid station where I filled up my two water bottles. Unfortunately I didn't realize that they only have HEED as a electrolyte drink which always gives me stomach trouble. I hope I'll be OK drinking HEED for the next 10 hours.

2 hours into the run I leave the Clear Creek aid station. Now we have a 2.7 mile ~1,500 feet climb on the Fire Road 2N64 to the aid station atop Josephine Saddle.

This uphill goes on for a while and I power walk it all the way. However, some runners, like Matt Wrock (left), even run some sections on this uphill.

I still have 15 minutes go to until the aid station and I've covered some good ground. On this picture you can see the fire road we just traveled uphill.

It took me 40 minutes for the 2.7 mile ~1,500 feet climb arriving at the Josephine aid station. On the right side you see the HAM operators who register the incoming runners and radio it to the start/finish area.

I feel good so far and it's not as hot as I expected to be. However, it's only 9:09 AM and we have lots of heat ahead of us during the day.

Running along this beautiful trail.

Along the way I catch up on Jill Childers and Carmela Layson which are looking really strong. They both will run the whole race together and finish strong just after 12 hours.

I've met Carmela on my first 100 miler, the 2006 Rio del Lago, which also was her first one. Since then she also ran Angeles Crest 100 twice, in 2007 and 2008. She is also the Mt. Disappointment 50 mile Women's 30-39 Division winner finishing the 2008 race in an amazing 12:22:56.

I've met Jill (right) at the 2009 San Diego 100 race which she finished in 29:12:04. She will run the 2009 Angeles Crest 100; a race I also will attempt to finish.

It's now 3.5 hours into the race. I am wearing some cheap $10 glasses, which are not too comfortable. I misplaced my Oakley sunglasses at home and really need to find it :) Oh yeah, I also didn't bother to shave because this all-day meeting does not require me to do so nor asks me to wear a tie HAHA

After the 21.2 Red Box aid station we take some stairs down to the trail.

It's now 6 hours into the run. I've passed the 26.2 mile West Fork aid station in 5 hours and 30 minutes. There I saw Eric Lumba (right), which I met at the 2008 PCT 50 miler. Behind him is his friend Lori Szikra. She also ran the 2009 San Diego 100. On the left side is Ryan Shaw, who ran with us for a while.

After a nice 3.8 mile 1,000 feet climb we arrived at the Newcomb aid station. There we had to run a 1.9 mile loop coming back to this very same aid station. The day also started to get pretty hot.

Between the Newcomb and the Shortcut aid station the real suffering started. This is a 9 mile distance with an elevation gain of about 2,000 feet with most of the trail exposed to the sun. It got pretty hot so Eric and I got a good does of suffering. Thankfully, 2.4 miles prior the Shortcut aid station the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team had a water only station, which helped a lot.

It took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to traverse 8.5 miles and I look forward to some ice-cold mountain dew and the McDonalds apple pie I have in my drop bag.

Just prior arriving at the aid station two more runners are passing us.

After almost 3 hours we finally arrive at the Shortcut aid station on mile 40.9. All volunteers at the race were great but this aid station really was outstanding!

Min-Seok Chae (#271 green shirt) and Jong Min Lee (#261 in front of Min-Seok) are taking a well deserved rest. This is Min-Seok first 50 mile race and Jong's 2nd. I've met Donn Ozaki (#248 right side) at the 2008 BullDog 50K and it was great seeing him again. He too will have fun soon at the 2009 AC100. At this aid station all volunteers are greeting everybody with their name and I was puzzled how they could possibly remember all runner's name until I saw the list on top of this picture. Boy we had a good laugh!

I love this picture. I love it because it shows the time when we left the aid station. It also shows the finish line behind the clock on that mountain far in the background where you can see all the radio station towers. It will take me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to cover the last 9.1 miles to that finish line.

We're enjoying the down hill running the whole 2.5 miles all the way to the bottom of the canyon.

At this part of the race, with the finish line so close, I can finally let down my guard a bit and just go for it.

We covered the 3.8 miles in less than 1 hour arriving at the Westfork 44.7 mile aid station at 5:56 PM 1.5 hours prior the cut-off time. We now have 3.5 hours to cover the remaining 5.3 miles.

This last section of this race is truly challenging because within the last 3.5 miles or so we'll travel about 2,500 feet uphill. I did enjoy this section though finding it a good challenge to work with.

Eric ran the Mt. Disappointment 50K (31 miler) in 2007 finishing the race in a fast 07:09:08. Now he's making his way, one step at a time, to the finish line once more.

It takes me pretty much exactly 2 hours for the last 5.3 miles and I was glad once I saw the finish line.

At 7:58 PM, 13 hours and 28 minutes after we started, I find myself back at the start/finish line just right before the night sets in. This was a heck of a wild ride and an excellent training run for Angeles Crest 100 miler. Carmela told me at the finish line that this race is a "mini-AC" so we'll see how I'll do at AC100.

Eric also makes it to the finish line without having to use his flashlight. It was great covering 24 miles with him and I look forward to our next run :)